Love Is Thicker Then Blood
by TreeNursery
Summary: Lilly gets raped by Oliver's cousin, Oswald. The Okens and Truscotts butt heads, tearing Lilly and Oliver apart against their will. Oliver is dying inside and Lilly won't leave her room. Horrible summary, better story! Loliver


A/N: While my writer's block for When It Rains in Malibu was still, well, blocking me, I couldn't get this idea for a Loliver oneshot out of my head. It took me a while to write and I know it's pretty long. Hope you enjoy! Oh and by the way, I think it might be a tiny bit AU, but I'll leave that up to you.

Disclaimer: I do not own Hannah Montana or any of its characters.

Love Is Thicker Then Blood

I woke up to the soothing sound of rain pelting softly against my window. I stretched my aching body, feeling each and every ligament pop obediently. I yawned quite loudly, turning my shaggy head to the blurry window on my right.

"Bout time." I mumbled, sleep still evident in my hoarse voice.

I had always enjoyed the rain, even though living in Malibu made it a scarce occasion. Every single day was a beautiful sunny day with a big old blue sky and an abundantly warm sun. It was almost hard to be upset on a day like that. There was something about a beautiful day that used to put a smile on my face. Well once upon a time anyway.

My name is Oliver Oken and I despised beautiful days. If I had a choice I would have moved to some dark and dreary place, like in Europe or something. Someplace where I could wake up and not have to close my blinds. I could just let the gray sky mildly illuminate my room with a soothing, lukewarm tint. In Malibu, the morning sun blared through my window and stung my eyes. It also brought back memories that stung my heart. 'Today will be different.' I thought.

'Today I could go outside and let the rain beat down on my ugly soul. I could laugh at the beautiful blue skies and golden sun, for they could not ridicule me from behind the clouds. They could not remind me how happy everyone else is. And most of all, they could not remind me how blue her eyes are or how golden her hair is…' I thought mournfully. But the thoughts didn't stop. They never did. 'The clouds could punish me with cold bullets of water. Unrealistically, I hope they'll pierce my worthless flesh and if I'm lucky, melt it right off my skull. It is what I deserve after all…' I was definitely fucked up.

I got out of bed and pulled a black hoodie over my grey wife beater. I stumbled weakly as I shoved my legs through a clean pair of blue skinny jeans. I ruffled my hair, not really caring that it had that 'just got out of bed' look and made my way downstairs. Mom was already down at the police station and Dad, well I didn't honestly give a fuck where he was. I put on a pair of worn black Converse and grabbed my iPod from the coffee table in the living room.

The minute I stepped outside, I felt the first volley of rain hit me point blank. It was invigorating and I was so at peace, I momentarily forgot everything else in the world. I clicked on my iPod and began my descent on the world after what seemed like ages of living in darkness. I could feel eyes peering at me through windows, scrutinizing every molecule that kept me together. They knew what had happened and they knew my role in the unfortunate situation.

I purposefully dropped my eyes to my feet as I approached the Truscott residence. They were more then likely watching me too, more with sadness then disdain. Who could haveblamed them after what happened? Certainly not me when I was most at fault for what happened to their daughter. I guess now would be a good time to drop all inhibitions and tell my story. Scratch that, her story. I owe her that much…

4 Months Earlier

Lilly and I had been going steady for a good 2 years. School was wrapped up for the summer and we couldn't be happier, seeing as how finals were nearly done. Miley had been extra busy with her Hannah stuff and we saw her very rarely for a few months. She kept us more then posted on everything Hannah, including the good publicity from Indiana Joanie. So things had been looking up for the most part. We hadn't a care in the world and we were excited for Miley. She had really earned her success.

On a particularly beautiful sunny day, I was walking Lilly home, my arm wrapped protectively about her waist. She returned the gesture lovingly, tickling my ribs every now and again. We stopped outside the Truscott residence and I leaned my back against a tree I've known for the better part of my life. I brought Lilly with me, folding her into my arms. She grazed my scalp with her fingertips, using her other hand and my shoulder as leverage to press her lips to mine. Returning her kiss, I let myself smile as my lips lingered over hers.

After a heated make-out session under the Truscott tree, Lilly pulled back. We both needed the air and not very many of our neighbors took kindly to PDA. Did I personally care? Not really, but Lilly's mom had to hear about it, meaning Lilly would most likely hear about it and be upset. Therefore I would sacrifice my closet voyeurism fetish for the sake of Lilly's sanity.

Did I say voyeurism fetish? Well it was more like I wanted everyone around me to see how much I loved my Lilly. Maybe the make-out sessions were a little excessive and maybe they got a little out of hand at times. But the rush it gave me whenever I kissed her and someone was watching was like adrenaline times a million. I got some kind of perverted jolly out of making my claim on her known.

Hey, I never said I was normal…

Lilly looked up at me questioningly and returned the goofy grin I probably had plastered on my face. I just couldn't help but let my mind wander when she was pressed up against me that way. I brushed some stray hairs out of her eyes and tucked them behind her ear, leaning in for another quick kiss. She was so damn beautiful that if I stared at her like that too long, I was sure bad things would happen. I settled for nuzzling that oh so creamy neck of hers. I breathed in the scent of apples, which strangely turned my crank more then it should have.

"Well I better head inside before my mom decides to separate us with the hose again." Lilly whispered into my ear, causing me to shudder at the memory. She gave me small kiss on my neck and pulled her backpack over her shoulder. "I'll call you later, Oken!"

"I'll be sitting by the phone, baby!" I called after Lilly, catching the imaginary kiss she blew my way. "Don't you dare break my heart!" I turned and headed in the direction of my house, satisfied with the chuckle I heard before the soft sound of a door shutting. My smile soon faltered when my eyes landed on the red SUV in my driveway. My eyes narrowed instantly as I read the license plate just to prove my suspicions. I managed to make out 'PUSSYMAN' and just like that I was in a deep vat of rage. I knew who the owner of the vehicle was and I knew what my parents would ask of me as soon as I stepped inside.

I grudgingly pushed the heavy door open after unlocking it and was welcomed with a kiss by my mother. "Hey honey, how was school?" She questioned, reaching down and picking up Owen's messily discarded shoes. Owen was my little brother and at the age of nine, he still wasn't the tidiest child.

"Good. We finished our finals today." I replied, dropping my backpack off in the foyer. I briefly pondered my mothers avoidance in explaining why my cousin was here of all places. I chose to just disregard the issue in hopes that I wouldn't have to be involved. I could sense she was apprehensive, but she knew it was inevitable. Dad most likely put her up to it. "Something wrong?" I gave in. The guilt would have eaten me alive and I knew it wasn't her fault.

"Nothing wrong exactly…" She attempted an apologetic smile. "You saw Oswald's car in the driveway…"

"Don't you mean "PUSSYMAN's" car?" I made sure my fingers showed the right amount of quoted emphasis on the lame nickname. I snorted when my mom decided to give me a disapproving look. It's not like I was actually cursing if it was a nickname, right? Right…

"Oliver, all that we ask is that you give him a chance. You two were the best of friends when you were 5." My mother half pleaded, with slight irritation. "And don't forget that Oswald is family." She reached out and stroked my cheek lovingly. "Okay?"

Okay, its explanation time again I suppose….

Oswald Oken was my cousin and my dad's most favorite person in the world. My entire life I only ever remember being compared to Oswald, my uncle's son. He made my father proud, excelling in everything I could not or would not. With my uncle in the can for fraud, Oswald became a part of the household and my father couldn't of been happier. This had been when Oswald and I were about 7 years old. And yes, we were pretty good friends for a while. We'd go down to the beach and skip rocks, meet up with Lilly and skateboard and even tried our luck at surfing. And then when we turned 13, everything changed.

Oswald started noticing Lilly and wouldn't stop asking me about her. He hardly ever hung out with Lilly and I, but became persistent in asking for her number. I of course wouldn't have any of that and politely asked him to step off. It wasn't a very sound argument when I didn't really hold any claim over her at the time. But something about him wanting her burned me up in ways that could make me homicidal.

I made sure Oswald never got the chance to ask my Lilly out in fear that she might say yes. Also, he had started acting out around that time, shoplifting, getting into fights at school and talking back to my mom. My dad was very forgiving and always had a loving father-son heart to heart with him when my mom brought him back from the police station. Oswald Oken was still his shining star and I'd always come in second to him. Which is why I was overjoyed to hear uncle Oscar got out of jail. My parents never knew why I really hated him since then, but they knew enough to know I didn't want him around.

"Hey Smokin'! I almost didn't recognize you without the mop top." Oswald appeared in the doorway leading to the kitchen. He had definitely changed since the last time I saw him. He still had the same dark hair and green eyes, but he was now my height and slightly bulkier. His comment about my new haircut did little to rouse me and I only scoffed, kicking off my shoes. I know it may have been cold, but I wasn't harboring a deep disdain for nothing.

The last time I had had the 'pleasure' of Oswald's company was about 2 years ago at a family reunion. I wasn't expecting to see my stuck up uncle Oscar their and was very unpleasantly surprised to see my expectations were wrong. Suddenly the excitement of returning to Texas and seeing my grandma had dwindled when I came face to face with a 16 year old Oswald. He smiled his crooked liar's smile (Yes he had one) and held out his hand to me. I reluctantly took it, only hating him slightly at that point.

Throughout the entire week we stayed at Grandma Oken's ranch, Oswald antagonized me with comments on how hot Lilly had gotten. Now I didn't exactly mention that Lilly and I were in a relationship, but it still enraged me as her best friend. Who did he think he was and how did he know what Lilly looked like then? Turns out he added her to Facebook and she accepted, not really thinking anything of it. I would later prompt her to delete him. So on the last day of our visit, I decided to get smart.

"Honestly Oliver, I'd seriously destroy Lilly." I glared at him as he grinned like an idiot. "Like, I would bend her ov-" Oswald didn't have time to finish that sentence as my fist may have connected with his jaw. I was beyond livid at that point. He brought out a part of me that nobody knew existed. It was a dark, twisted corner of my mind that should never have been explored. There wasn't enough time to do the damage I was hoping for as about five sets of arms tore me away from a very bloodied and battered Oswald. I remember my mother crying and my father giving me that "You're going to get it later" look. But what stuck out the most was the look Oswald was giving me. He was grinning from ear to ear and his eyes were shining with glee. Nobody else saw this but me of course and I knew that was what he was aiming for.

So that is why this douche-bag didn't deserve any compassion from me. I would never apologize and I was assuming that's what he wanted. So he stood before me two years later and decided to comment on my hair? Typical….

"Look Oliver, I'm sorry." Come again? Did that just come out of his mouth? I must have looked quite puzzled at that very moment and I caught a glimpse of Mom smiling warmly. "Those things I said to you, they were wrong and I deserved what you did to me." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. I could tell when he told my parents, he left out the part about Lilly. That was something I was okay with, being quite protective of Lilly's honor. She didn't have to be brought into it. Oh little did I know…

Again, I swallowed my pride and took his hand warily and to my dismay he pulled me into a hug. There was no telling what angle he was playing me at this time. I just knew there was something up and as much as I hated to admit it, I was scared shitless. But not scared of Oswald. I was scared of what I might do to Oswald if he reached my dark corner again. He would most likely be unrecognizable after that weather he was stronger then me or not. And I just couldn't go to jail and be away from Lilly forever, because that is most likely what would happen.

For Mom, I made nice with Oswald and headed up to my bedroom. I wasn't ready to sit down and discuss anything with my parents. To my relief, they didn't prod me further. Apparently my blunt acknowledgement of his apology was enough for the time being. But life wasn't that easy and I knew they'd be bugging me to hang out with him later. He lived in Florida, so chances were he was staying with us for a bit. There went my summer…

When I reached my bedroom, I shut the door and locked it. I collapsed onto my bed and placed my phone upon my bedside table. There was no doubting I was in a bad mood and the only thing that could possibly raise my spirits was a phone call from Lilly. So I waited patiently, drumming my stomach rhythmically and humming to myself. I glanced out my window pathetically, hoping I'd see Lilly through her window across the yard. To my delight, I did see her and when she saw me, a warm smile spread over her face. I mirrored her smile and made a phone calling motion with my hand. She just rolled her eyes playfully and looked to be fishing around her bed for her cell. I could almost hear the "Aha!" when she found it and not long after did my phone start to buzz.

I purposely waited for the third ring to press the talk button, earning me a glare from the blonde across the yard. "Hey beautiful." I could see the pink tint in her cheeks at my compliment. Even after two years of being together, I still made her weak in the knees. Not to brag or anything, but I think that earned me a collar pop.

"Hey Ollie, I thought you had company so I was gonna call you later tonight. Everything okay?" Lilly must have thought it odd of me to be in my room when I obviously had someone over. I decided I needed to talk to her about Oswald and why she should steer clear of his company. It might have been a little soon to spring something of this caliber on her, but I had to protect her no matter how miner the danger. If only I knew how extreme it actually was.

"Actually Lilly, I wanted to talk to you about something. Are you alone right now?" I asked hopefully. Mostly I wanted to get the hell out of my house.

"Yeah, Mom just left for San Diego. Oliver, are you okay?" I could hear the worry in her voice and smiled reassuringly at her from my window.

"Everything's fine Lils, really. Can I come over?"

"Yeah the doors open. I'll miss you!" Lilly cooed into the phone.

"See you soon, Lillypop! Muah!" I pressed end and headed back down to the foyer where I ran into my Dad.

"Where are you going?" My father's voice boomed with authority. His salt and pepper hair looked disheveled from working in the garage. 'So that's where he was…'

"I'm going to Lilly's, I'll be back around 7." I began putting on my shoes when he spoke up again.

"You know your cousin came a long way to see you. Don't you think it'd be a little more polite to stick around and catch up?" He was trying to guilt trip me and I was not having it. My brown eyes locked on his matching ones as if to challenge him. It was so scary how much we looked alike, yet had absolutely nothing in common.

"No offense Dad, but I'm a little shocked you guys did this without even once coming to me first!" My voice was stern, but not loud enough for others to hear. "And don't even try to tell me you had no idea he was coming!" With that I ripped the door open, slamming it behind me. I walked the short distance to Lilly's front door and knocked out of habit before slipping inside.

I slipped off my sneakers and hastily made my way up the stairs in pursuit of Lilly's bedroom. The door was slightly ajar but I knocked anyway peering in sheepishly. Something about the Truscott household always had me on high alert. It definitely had something to do with almost getting caught on top of Lilly about a thousand times. Ms. Truscott was everywhere…

Lilly looked up from the magazine she had been reading and maneuvered into a sitting position. She beckoned me over, patting the spot beside her on her bed. I happily obliged, sitting next to her and wrapped my arms around her shoulders in a tight hug. Then something came over me that to this day I still cannot figure out. I gently turned her face to mine and crashed my lips down on hers almost fiercely. She let out a sound, which I could only label as surprise and gently pushed on my shoulders.

"Oliver, did you tell me you wanted to talk just so you could get into my pants?" Lilly joked, gently tugging the hair at the base of my neck. "I knew you only wanted me for my body." She teased, tapping me on the nose with her index finger. I bore my teeth, making to bite the offending appendage. I settled for grabbing that hand and kissing it instead.

"No Lilly I do wanna talk, but after. For now can we just be together?" I had a feeling that with Oswald around, I wasn't going to see a whole lot of Lilly. She nodded and I continued my sweet torture, trailing kisses ever so slowly down her neck. When I reached her collarbone, I sunk my teeth in only enough to get a yelp out of the blonde. She recovered and giggled, obviously amused by my eagerness.

"Aww, did Ollie miss me?" Lilly cooed, using her baby voice. I grunted in response, letting my hands roam almost drunkenly over her body. "And little Ollie?" She asked in a much huskier voice. I moaned into her neck and pulled away, letting a sinister smirk pull across my face.

"Especially him…" I mirrored her husky voice and wiggled my eyebrows suggestively. I pulled her back up for another kiss, which she returned excitedly. I prodded her lips with my tongue, deciding to be adventurous. When she parted her lips, I slipped my tongue into her hot mouth and explored every curve and crevice. Without breaking contact, I gently pushed her down onto the mattress. I straddled her thighs and began the task of pulling her shirt over her head. She sat up to help get it off and then paused as if something occurred to her.

"Um….you do have something right?" I stared at her blankly, not quite grasping what she was getting at. "You know…" Then it hit me. I groaned loudly in annoyance causing the girl under me to giggle uncontrollably. I narrowed my eyes at her as she scooted up onto her elbows and pulled open her top drawer.

I glared down at the blonde and then said "Just for that, we're doing it above the covers this time." I rifled through the drawer without looking and produced one of many condoms I had felt in there. I read the package and smirked feeling pride in the fact that she went out and bought me the "Large" variety. Did my girl know me, or what? I set the prophylactic beside me and continued removing our clothing. I was painfully hard by the time I removed my last article of clothing.

"Let's rock this fucking house down." I whispered into Lilly's ear.

"Just do me, you dork."

After I showed Lilly the joys of sex above the sheets, I slipped my boxers back on and joined her on the bed again. She settled herself under the covers, hiding her stunning body from me. Why'd she have to be so self-conscious?

I wrapped myself fully around Lilly, draping an arm and a leg over her. I buried my face in her hair, ecstatic that it still smelled of apples. I earned a glare from the blonde I was currently using as a full-bodied teddy bear. It then occurred to me that I should start talking before she used me as a full-bodied rag doll.

"I'm all ears, Ollie." She encouraged me, stroking my hair.

It took me a little time to think of what to say before I began. "You remember my cousin, the one I told you to delete from Facebook?" I cleared my throat as it was beginning to get hoarse. "Well I don't like him very much…"

"Yeah, I mean I sort of assumed you two were fighting but I didn't want to prod so I didn't say anything." Lilly perked up, looking quite intrigued now.

"Lilly, there's reasons why he needs to be steered clear of." I went on, explaining everything starting from when we were 5 all the way up to two years ago at the reunion. Lilly was incredulous at my beating up Oswald for her. She put her hand over her heart and I could she the love shining in her blue orbs.

"My hero!" Lilly giggled, pecking me on the lips. "But how come your parents didn't tell you he was coming over?"

"Because if they did, I would have gone AWOL. And I'd have taken you with me of course." I squeezed her body for emphasis.

"Look, maybe he really is sorry for what he did. I know it's hard to believe someone can change so suddenly, but two years is a long time, baby" Lilly yawned and it prompted me to look at my watch which I caught switching from 6:57 to 6:58.

"Shit Lils, I gotta go." I said, hastily fighting my way out of the mess of blankets and pulling on my cloths.

"Oliver, please promise me you'll at least talk to him." Lilly was trying to be helpful as always.

"Okay, but I can't promise it will go well." I replied, now fully dressed and sticking on leg out the window. Climbing down the tree always got me home faster.

"I'll be proud of you for trying, Ollie. You know I love you no matter what?" She smiled and I nearly melted right then, but decided to tease her instead.

"Lilly Truscott, you've gone soft." I winked pulling myself fully out onto the branch. I poked my head back into the window and replied, "I love you too." With that I was climbing down the tree and running across my backyard. I opened the back door, which lead into the living room. It looked pretty empty for the family room. I assumed Mom got called into work, but Dad was usually watching a game of some sort.

My ears picked up the faint sound of laughter and I followed the noise curiously. It appeared to be drifting through the door leading to the basement. I decided to follow the sound, in hopes of possibly getting my little chat with Oswald over with. Just as luck would have it, I stumbled upon Dad and Oswald working on a game of pool. The billiards table was almost vacant of all balls and whoever was playing for stripes appeared to be winning.

Oswald was first to notice me, leaning casually on his cue. "Hey Smokin's just in time to play winner!" He slapped my shoulder and returned to the game. I heard my father huff in mock disappointment. He handed me his cue, barely acknowledging my presence.

"Well, I think I need a good nap." Dad droned, yawning to emphasize this. He stretched and patted Oswald on the back. "That mattress in the guestroom is honestly the most comfortable one in this house! You should have no problem getting to sleep, son." I couldn't believe he had called him son. I mean, of course I knew some older men called all young boys son. This was especially true for my Granddad, but Dad never called anyone son. Not even me…I was just boy. "Well have a good night, Oswald." He said making his way up the stairs without even so much as looking at me.

I fought to keep the tears back and lowered my eyes to the floor. Oswald was too busy putting all the balls into the triangle to notice the shift in my demeanor. I got my composure back and decided to start a steady conversation. "So, how have you been?" I asked trying my best to not sound indifferent, but failing miserably.

Oswald took the liberty of breaking the triangle and I watched with little interest as the balls dispersed. "Not too bad, just finished high school. I'm gonna study business so I can work with my dad." I nodded and leaned over the table, knocking two stripes into the left corner pocket.

"That's gotta be cool, knowing you're gonna co-own a computer software company." I had to admit, I was jealous. This guy had a dad who was going to give him the world and here I was with a dad who was cheating on me with another son. Men…

Before I knew it, the digital clock on the mini fridge was flashing 11:01pm. After four games of pool, I was exhausted. Too bad I didn't really feel much different about Oswald. I was okay with him, but I didn't see me being chummy with him at all. There was just something not right about him. He seemed synthetic right from the moment I saw him in the foyer after school. Looking back on it now, I really should have listened to my gut.

I yawned and headed upstairs to shower and brush my teeth. The next day was Saturday and I was going to be spending it with the most special girl in the world. Lilly and I and been planning a movie night at my place for weeks. I only hoped my parents were still going out of town like they said they would.

To my pleasant surprise, the next day went as smoothly as I hoped. My parents were still heading out to our cottage for the weekend and Oswald was to be out all night for whatever reason. I couldn't have cared less. I glanced at the digital clock on the oven, reading 7:58pm. I pulled the microwave open and took out the steaming bag of popcorn, which I left on the counter. I found a large enough bowl under the sink and I dubbed it as suitable after a quick rinse and dry.

A soft knock sounded at the front door and I heard a click as it opened. I turned to see Lilly, as expected, leaning in the doorway with arms folded over her chest. "A man who can cook. Mmmmm." She nearly pranced over to the popcorn and popped one in her mouth.

"That's right baby, I slaved over a hot microwave just for you." I winked before grabbing her around the waste. I placed a quick kiss on her cheek, grabbed the bowl of popcorn and steered us into the living room. I must say, she looked stunning in her new Spongebob Squarepants jammies. I was a little boring with my black wife beater and red boxers, but I was a simple boy.

I placed the bowl on the coffee table and gestured to a stack of DVDs next to our beverages. "There's a lot of good movies here besides The Notebook." I teased. She only glared before rifling through the selection. She picked American History X, one of our personal favorites and I happily placed the DVD upon the open disc tray. As it closed, I made myself comfortable at the very end of the couch. Lilly snuggled herself into my lap and I encircled my arms around her frame.

We stayed this way throughout the entire movie, occasionally feeding each other popcorn and stealing kisses. When all that was left was the ending credits, Lilly squirmed out of my hold and began raiding the kitchen. I just laughed, picking up the empty popcorn bowl and placing it in the sink.

"Do you by any chance have anything containing chocolate?" Lilly closed the cupboard she had her head in and turned to me. "I'm getting my late night sugar cravings again. Always at the beginning of summer, yeesh!"

"I don't think so, but the 7 Eleven might. What do you want?" I asked opening the door to the laundry room and retrieving a pair of red board shorts from the clean hamper. I pulled them on over my boxers and grabbed my keys off the counter.

"Some cookies, pretty please?" Lilly smiled at me cutely. "Oh! And a big old carton of chocolate milk!" She got on her tiptoes and thanked me with a kiss. "That's just a down payment" I saw her wink. "You'll be getting the rest later tonight…" She whispered that part in my ear and I nearly had her pressed against the refrigerator. I put those thoughts on layaway for the time being and headed out to my Cadillac.

The line in the 7 Eleven took a lot longer then I would have liked, what with the crazy woman in front of me. Like seriously! Who tries to use grocery coupons at a fucking 7 Eleven! I still had to fill up my gas tank and Lilly was probably wondering where I was. I was finally able to pay for the chocolate chip cookies, chocolate milk and a diet cola for myself. I took my change and smiled at the miffed cashier, briskly walking out of the store.

After another few minutes at the gas station, I was well on my way home. I glanced at the clock on my dashboard and winced when I noticed I had taken a whole 45 minutes. As I turned onto my street I caught sight of a familiar red SUV peeling out of my driveway. My eyes widened as the vehicle haphazardly flew past me. The first logical thought my mind could process at that moment materialized before me mentally. 'Lilly…'

I put my car into park, not even remembering to grab the purchases in the passenger seat. I shoved the door open and sprinted towards my house, letting my eyes bug out when I saw the door left open.

"Lilly!" I screamed, now thoroughly panicking. The kitchen drawers had been ransacked and I began shaking, expecting the worst. I knew something had happened and I nearly stopped breathing when I heard sobs coming from the hall bathroom. "Lilly!" I was almost out of breath as I bolted into the hallway and nearly kicked the bathroom door down. I just about crumpled to the floor at the sight before me.

Lilly was facedown on the cold tiled floor, sobbing uncontrollably. Her hair was disheveled and her clothing was strewn across the bathroom, torn almost to bits. Her arms hugged her body as she shivered. A bolt of fear ran through me as my eyes picked up the red stains in her blonde hair.

"Oh my God Lilly what happened!" I scooped her up into my lap and turned her to face me. I tried stroking her hair out of her face but she wouldn't let me look. I wrapped my arms around her and repeatedly kissed the top of her head. "Come on baby, talk to me." I pleaded, doing my best to not break down and cry. I rocked her back and forth as she sobbed, noticing a new bruise every time I looked over her body. I was beginning to put the pieces together in my mind of what probably happened, as much as I didn't want to believe it. A tear finally trickled its way down my cheek and I tried to tilt her face up once again. This time she allowed me and what I saw brought me back to that dark corner in my mind. I wanted him dead.

Lilly's left eye socket was nearly blackened with bruising and it didn't look like she could open her eye. Her nose and mouth were covered in blood and her right eyebrow had a vicious gash in it that was producing it's own river of blood. I couldn't help the expression of pure horror that appeared on my face. She noticed this and began crying harder, wailing into my chest. I couldn't hold my anguish any longer and my body began wracking with sobs of my own. I should have never left her alone. I should have listened to my gut from the beginning and the one who paid for it was Lilly.

"Oliver…" Lilly rasped. I could almost feel her agony and snapped back to reality. I yanked a robe from the hook on the bathroom door and wrapped her in it securely. As much as I would have liked to track down that son of a bitch cousin of mine, Lilly needed me. And I'd be damned if I ever put my needs and wants before Lilly's. I scooped her up bridal style and held her close to my chest. I effortlessly carried her out to my car and laid her in the back seat. I was able to secure a seatbelt around her while she rested on her side.

As soon as we got to the hospital, prompt help was served and I was grateful. When we got a room, Lilly was immediately dressed in a gown, hooked up to an I.V and given cold ice water. I sat next to her, shaking as I gripped her hand for dear life. How could I have let this happen? I promised her countless times that I would protect her. I swore that I would never let anyone harm a beautiful, blonde hair on her head. How would she ever feel safe again? And sadly that was the problem. She would probably never feel safe with me again.

As the hours passed, doctors, nurses and police officers came and went. They took blood, checked vitals and asked what took place hours earlier. I sat beside Lilly, trying to hold myself together as she recounted her painful ordeal.

"I was in the washroom brushing my hair when I heard someone come in." She had a faraway look on her face as she struggled with her words. "I assumed it was Oliver so I wasn't expecting to see…Oswald." I heard her gulp loudly as she choked out his name. It then occurred to me that she recognized him as Oswald after not seeing him for over five years.

"Oswald who?" Officer O'keef asked, jotting the information onto his notepad.

"Oswald Oken. I share a mutual friend with him on Facebook." I had forgotten about that. Oswald and Lilly shared a mutual friend on Facebook, meaning she most likely saw him in pictures.

Lilly continued, albeit painfully, with her recollections. She went over the severe beating Oswald gave her, and my blood began to boil. She then went on to explain how he held a kitchen knife to her, violated her, pinned her down and…raped her….I closed my eyes, trying to hold back another barrage of tears and choke back another sob. I helped in describing Oswald's appearance, vehicle and license plate.

"Alright sweetheart, that's enough for now. I'm going to go call your parents and send some of my best guys after him." Officer O'keef offered reassuringly. I could tell he was burning up almost as much as I was. He kept his promise and called our parents. Within a few minutes he was back. "Your folks are on their way. Sit tight." He tipped his hat at Lilly and I and was gone once again.

The silence in the room was deafening. Lilly kept the same indifferent expression on her face for hours and I was beginning to worry. Something needed to be said or I was sure I'd never have the chance to redeem myself again.

"God Lilly, I'm so sorry." I whispered, taking her hand and flattening it between both of mine. I let more tears fall whereas Lilly seemed to have finished crying, still coming down from the shock of what happened.

"It's not your fault, Oliver." She whispered back and I could tell she was being genuine. I couldn't stand it. I wanted her to be angry with me. I wanted her to scream at me for leaving her alone and vulnerable, but she didn't blame me. "Just promise me something." I heard her swallow harshly as I waited anxiously for what she was about to say. "Promise me that you won't leave my side." She squeezed my hand as hard as she could with her current weakness. "Ever."

Lilly gazed into my eyes pleadingly, deep sea blue pools of sadness and need bore into me. "Forever, Lilly Ann Truscott." I bent down and pressed my chapped lips to hers. "Forever…" I whispered in her ear. I would soon have to break that promise when I was asked to step outside the room so Lilly could be further examined. I mouthed 'I love you' before I nodded to the examiner who appeared at the door. I passed her in the doorway and sat down in the chair closes to the room. I tried not to eavesdrop on what was being said behind the closed door, I heard them exchange some pleasantries before it went quiet.

Heather Truscott was the first to show up and barely noticed me as she powered through the door leaving it ajar. My heart broke as I couldn't help but hear Heather break down at the sight of her daughter. It was similar to my reaction, especially since she had to hear it from a police officer first. I heard her come back out and I stood up, struggling to look her in the eyes. I opened my mouth to apologize but never got the chance when her hand collided with my cheek. I stumbled from the impact and had to hold the chair for balance.

"How could you let this happen!" Heather shrieked, black tears streaming down her cheeks. "I finally trust you enough to be alone with my daughter and this is what I come home to!" If the situation had been a lighter one, I would have mentioned that we were in a hospital and not in fact her home. It was no time for jokes though and I couldn't possibly laugh right now.

"Ms. Truscott, I…." I attempted to apologize again, but she wouldn't have it.

"Save it, Oliver! I don't ever want to see you or your rapist family near Lilly again!" I couldn't believe she would disregard fifteen years of friendship with my family. While I did take full responsibility for what happened, I did find it unfair that she would never allow me to make it up to them. Or at least try.

Just as Heather was about to turn her back to me, my parents showed up. "Oh Heather, I heard what happened! I'm so sorry!" My mother was bawling hard. Lilly had been like a daughter to her and I was sure she was just as heartbroken as I was. My father on the other hand stayed stoic and emotionless.

Heather moved away from my mother's attempt at a hug. "I'm sorry Nancy, but things can never be like they used to." Mom stared in disbelief. "After the damage your family has caused, I'd appreciate it if you kept your son away from my daughter." With that she stormed back into the room where Lilly was. Lilly had obviously been listening because I could hear her pleading with her mother. I could hear her heart breaking with each and every word that came out of her mouth and my heart broke every time hers did.

My mother dabbed her eyes with a napkin, even more devastated now that she lost a friend. How could she have known Oswald would act out in such a way? "Come on Oliver, sweetheart." She said with a trembling voice, putting a hand on my shoulder. "We have to go home." I shook my head and bolted for the closed door.

"Lilly!" I screamed, letting fresh tears blur my vision. My father grabbed me from behind and my legs gave out. I resorted to crawling, trying to fight away from his grip. I was succeeding, having become much stronger then him over the years. "Lilly, I love you!" I cried. I broke free from my fathers hold and was stopped by several security guards who ended up carrying me out to my parent's car. I sat in the back seat and hid my face in my hands. My mother tried comforting me while my father stayed silent until we got home.

As soon as we were inside, my father turned to me. "Which way did you see Oswald go?" He asked and I almost thought he was going to try and track him down for the good of the law. Almost.

"He went north, towards the main highway. I told the police…" I eyed the man before me warily. He went into the kitchen and picked up the phone, punching in a number he new off by heart. "Hello, Jimmy? It's Otis, I'm going to need a damn good lawyer for my nephew and I'm going to need one soon."

My jaw dropped in disbelief of what he had just done and I couldn't stop him from what he did next. He went up to my bedroom, took my cell phone and unplugged my laptop. He left my T.V and gaming system, which I could not contact Lilly with.

He came down the stairs holding my laptop and I nearly tackled him to the floor. If it hadn't been for my mother standing there, I wouldn't have hesitated.

"Sorry Oliver, you can have these things back when all of this blows over." He had torn away every hope of even hearing Lilly's voice again. I hated him more then ever at that moment. Did he not realize what his nephew had done?

There never ended up being an actual trial for Lilly's rape. A week after that night, Oswald's vehicle was found in a ditch outside of the city. His body was found slouched over the dashboard, surrounded by empty vodka bottles. I should have been happy that he was dead, but I just couldn't find the strength. I was more annoyed then anything. Oswald got away. I was still here, dealing with not being able to see her face. I couldn't look into those eyes that rivaled the bluest skies and that hair that I could never run my fingers through enough.

The next three weeks I spent hiding in my room sulking. Miley eventually came over and I lost it as soon as I saw her. I threw my arms around her and cried even though I was sure there weren't any tears left. She returned the hug eagerly, bursting into tears of her own. She rubbed my back soothingly as she sat next to me on my bed.

Miley of course heard what happened from Lilly, but she asked me to recount my side of the story. As painful as it was, I got it out and Miley spent the next hour soothing me into a calmer state.

Over those three months, Miley was my only contact with Lilly. She would come over and tell me how Lilly was. I would ask her to tell Lilly I loved her every time and every time Miley came back I got the same message from Lilly.

4 Months Later

Four months later nothing had changed. I looked down at my iPod, which I had forgot I was listening to. The rain was beginning to let up and the sun started peaking from behind the clouds. 'That was short-lived…' I thought bitterly as I began trudging my way home. I was stopped in my tracks by a voice I never expected to hear.

"Oliver!" I turned around and my jaw nearly dropped to the floor when I saw Heather Truscott standing in her doorway. I was certain she was going to scold me for being to close to her home. Then she beckoned me over.

I sheepishly inched towards the house, taking my time to climb every step. Heather opened her door wider and placed her palm on my back, guiding me into the foyer. After she shut the door she turned to me and before I knew it I was being embraced tightly. It took me a moment to hug her back as my mind was reeling in confusion. Heather pulled away and our eyes locked. A moment of silence passed over us as we just stared at each other. She spoke first.

"Oliver, those things I said…." She looked down, arms still wrapped around my shoulders. "I was just so angry and all I could think to do was blame you." Tears began welling up in her eyes. "I'm so sorry…" She whispered, hugging me even tighter now. I awkwardly began rubbing her back and consoling her. I had never had to comfort an adult before.

"Ms. Truscott, I should be the one apologizing. I love Lilly so much and I let the most horrible thing happen to her…" I felt my lower lip tremble and couldn't stop the tear that rolled down my left cheek. "Can you forgive me?" I asked, finally having the chance.

"Oliver…" Heather began, wiping her eyes. "Lilly hasn't left her room since that night. She barely eats and won't talk about anyone else but you." I could tell she was about to ask something of me and I felt my heart skip a beat. "I tried to take her to a therapist, like the doctor suggested but she won't go. I'm worried if she doesn't see one…" Heather turned away, not wanting to finish that sentence. "Please talk to her Oliver. It'll mean the world to both of us."

I didn't need to be told twice. I hugged Heather tightly and kissed her on the cheek. I thanked her almost persistently and headed up the stairs. I stood in front of Lilly's door, took a deep breath and knocked.

"Come in." I felt my heartbeat quicken at the sound of her voice and I turned the knob slowly. I pushed the door open and just stood there, unable to move. Lilly was lying on her stomach, doodling in her sketchbook when she looked up. I barely had any time to react when she flung herself at me, causing me to stagger back. I nearly lifted her off her feet with my hug and pulled back to kiss every inch of her face. God I missed her…

"God Lilly, I've wanted to do that for so long!" I exclaimed still hugging her. We sat side by side on her mattress, just staring at each other. The silence that might have been awkward to anybody else was comfortable for us. The feeling that was washing over me was euphoric and I couldn't get enough of it. After four months of darkness, my beautiful sunny day was finally here. She was sitting right in front of me and it was almost too good to be true. I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers and after months apart I felt like King Kong on cocaine.

Lilly kissed me back, encircling her arms securely around my neck as if I'd disappear. I deepened the kiss, resting my hands on either side of her face. The rest of that day was spent catching up and indulging in each other's company. We made up for everything we missed during the four months apart. We hugged, kissed, made love and promised each other for the last time that nothing could tear us apart.

One thing I learned throughout that whole ordeal was that family was nothing but a blood relation. They could still hurt you and try and keep you away from the ones you love. They could break your soul and make you feel unloved. Yes, blood is thicker then water, but love is thicker then blood.

THE END!

A/N: What a steaming pile of crap! Please review! I know it's not the best piece of literature, but it took me forever to write and I think it does deserve some good words from some good people I really want to know what you think R&R!


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